Monday, February 4, 2019

USA, South Dakota: Progress at Underground Geothermal Energy Research Facility

PNNL researchers collect data from the Sanford Underground Research Facility in real-time

The mine, or Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), mimics rocks found deep in the subsurface where temperatures reach over 400 degrees Fahrenheit. That heat is a clean energy source that could be harnessed to power 100 million homes across the nation. When cold water is pumped through small fractures in the Earth’s subsurface, its contact with hot rock heats the water, which can be brought to the surface for conversion to electrical energy.